Kentucky football (5-7, 2-6 SEC) season comes to end after 41-0 decimation by Louisville (8-4, 4-4 ACC).
Kentucky got beat down on offense, defense and special teams. It also appeared like Kentucky showed more fight during scuffles during the game and before it than it did during the game.
Louisville came into this matchup defending the Governor’s Cup after a blowout win in Lexington last season. The Cardinals have now outscored Kentucky 82-14 over the past two seasons in the rivalry matchup.
The home Cardinals were dealing with a lengthy injury list that included its leading receiver Chris Bell, top four running backs and quarterback Miller Moss.
While Bell and the running backs were out, Moss suited up and was good to go for the game and made it into the fourth quarter before injuring his left leg that he returned from one play later.
Louisville won the toss and elected to defer, which meant the Wildcats would get the ball first and they picked up one first down before being forced to punt.
The Cardinals matched Kentucky on their first offensive series of the game, but that was the only time for the rest of the half.
Kentucky lined up to punt on its second series, but it was blocked by Eric Hazzard and recovered by Lou McWilliams Jr., who took it 19 yards to the UK 10.
It took four plays, but Moss plunged it in from 1-yard out to open the scoring.
The Wildcats strung together a bit of offense and found themselves on the Louisville 34, but Jacob Kauwe missed from 52 yards.
Louisville opened the second quarter with a 34-yard Cooper Ranvier field goal to boost its lead to 10-0.
After another quick three-and-out for Kentucky on offense, Louisville started to march down the field once again.
Moss connected with Jacob Stewart on a busted coverage that resulted in a 43-yard touchdown to make the score 17-0.
The Wildcats went three-and-out yet again and Louisville responded with a field goal with just under two minutes to play in the first half.
Kentucky did not get on the board before half as it punted yet again and gave that opportunity to the Cardinals, who also did not score before the first half came to a close.
The Wildcats forced two Carinal punts to start the second half, but the offense remained dormant and was forced to go for it on fourth-and-1 deep in their own territory and did not convert.
Louisville added another touchdown to its lead as Shaun Boykins Jr. took it in from 5 yards out to boost the score to 27-0.
Cutter Boley and Co. put together its best offensive drive of the game midway in the third, but the drive ended with an interception by Tayon Holloway.
Louisville turned that into a 11-yard touchdown from Moss to Dacari Collins.
Boley threw another interception on the ensuing drive and tensions boiled over as a long scuffle led to multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on Kentucky.
The Cardinals kept adding to their lead with another touchdown, this time a 4-yard pass from Moss to Jaleel Skinner.
Moss finished the game after that touchdown and was replaced by Deuce Collins with around four minutes to play. He finished the game with 182 yards and three touchdowns.
The loss ended the 2025 season for Kentucky football as its five wins are not enough to qualify for a bowl game birth.
